The present invention relates to formulations used in biofouling control in industrial water systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods of preparing stable oxidizing bromine formulations and their use in biofouling control in industrial water systems.
Ozone is known to be an effective biocide and is used to control biofouling in various industrial water applications. However, ozone is also very reactive with other water treatment chemicals such as corrosion and scale inhibitors. As a result, it is difficult to maintain a residual ozone concentration in a system thereby substantially reducing the effectiveness of ozone as a biocide.
In an effort to overcome the deficiencies of ozone, the combination of ozone and bromine has been used. One method utilizes ozone activated hypobromite to increase the biocide residual concentration in the system and to reduce the reaction of ozone with other water treatment chemicals. However, bromine species such as OBr.sup.-, HOBr and Br.sub.2 are produced and are all both unstable and aggressive against water treatment chemicals as well.
Methods of generating stabilized hypobromite for use at levels of less than 100 ppm as a secondary disinfectant during water ozonation are also known. The ozonation processes are carried out at a pH of about 8.5. Compounds used to stabilize the hypobromite include 5, 5-dimethylhydantoin and succinamide.
Thus, while bromine compounds such as hypobromite have been used as secondary disinfectants or have been generated for on-site use without concern for stabilization of the bromine, to date, there has been only one successful method for providing oxidizing bromine formulations that are stable and that can be used for biofouling control. Therefore, methods of generating higher concentrations of stable oxidizing bromine formulations in a safer manner are needed so that such stable oxidizing bromine formulations can be combined with ozone and be an effective biofouling control system.